Carrier for bottles and the like



Aug. l2, 1947.v 1 RlNG CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed April 5, 194e INVENToR. Jacob Rng E Patented Aug. 12, 1947 UNITED STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

are commonly used for shipping bottles of soit drinks and the like from the bottler to theretailer.

It is now the common practice for the bottles of soft drinks to be shipped from the loottler to theretailer in carriers adapted to contain six bottles. Some carriers which are used are'made of paper and others ofI metal or wood. The paper carriers are unsatisfactory because they lack the necessary strength, and if a paper carrier becomes wet during shipment it is apt to become torn so that it does not properly hold the bottles.

vFor this reason, metal or wooden bottle carriers are more or less commonly used.

f However, unless a metal or wooden bottle carrier is constructed so that it can be folded or knocked down, the question of storing a quantity of such bottle carriers often presents a problem.

A bottler may place with the manufacturer an order for a considerable number of bottle carriers, Vand if such bottle carriers arrvein their set-up condition, the retailer may not have adequate storage space in which to store the bottle carriers.

It is one object of my present invention to provide a novel bottle carrier which may be made of wood or metal, which is simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which can be shipped from the manufacturer to the bottler in a knocked-down or collapsed condition, thus reducing very 'greatly the space required 'for shipment and for storage of a quantity of bottle 'carriers upon their receipt by the bottler, and which can be Vquickly and easily erected by the fbottler for use in shipping bottles. With my improvement, therefore, a bottler will be able to store a large quantity of bottle carriers in a relatively small storage space, but can easily and quickly erect each bottle carrier as it is required for use.

It is a common practice for the retailer to return to the bottler the empty bottle carriers, and with my invention the retailer can easily knock down or take each bottle carrier apart when it is to be shipped back to the lbottler, and can thus ship a quantity of bottle carriers in a relatively small package.

In order to give an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle carrier embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view showing the manner in which several lled carriers can be stacked one on the other for transportation purposes.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3--3, Fig. 1.`

Fig. 4 illustrates the end members of a plurality of carriers embodying my invention which are stacked ready for shipment by the retailer back to the bottler.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the bottom members of a plurality of carriers embodying my invention Similarly stacked for return shipment.

Fig. 6 illustrates the pin used in connecting the end walls to the bottom of the carrier.

Fig. 7 illustrates the pin used for connecting the side walls to the end walls of the carrier.

The improved carrier herein shown is made of metal and it comprises the bottom member I, two end members 2 and 3, two side members 4 and 5, and a handle member 6. The bottom member I, the end members 2, 3, and the side members 4 and 5 are all preferably made from sheet metal, and the said members are detachably connected together so that they can be readily dissembled for shipping purposes, and can be readily assembled to produce the complete carrier.

The bottom member I is shown as having a plurality of cylindrical ears 1 at each end, each ear bein-g provided with an axial opening to receive a connecting pin as will be presently described.V

Each end member 2 and 3 is formed at its bottom edge with a plurality of cylindrical ears 8` situated to register with the ears 1 of the bottom member when the end members are assembled with the bottom member as shown in Fig. 1, each cylindrical ear 3 of each end member also being provided with an axial opening.

-When the end members are properly assembled with the bottom member, with the ears 8 registering with the ears 'l on the bottom member, the axial openings through all the ears will register` with each other so that a connecting pin 9 maybe inserted through the'aligned apertures thereby connecting the end members to the bottomy member.

Each end member 2, 3 has at its vertical edge near the top other cylindricalk ears IIl, and each of the side members 4, 5 has at each end a corresponding cylindrical earv II which is adapted to register with the ears I0 of the end members when the parts are assembled. Each of the ears I0 and I I also is provided with an axial opening and when the said ears I0 and II' at each corner of the carrier are in register as shown in Fig. 1

necting handle or bridge portion I. AThe lower end of each leg I3 is provided with a slot I5, andeach end member 2 or 3 carries a stud which extends through the corresponding slot 1:5." The" stud herein shown for connectingthe handleto. the end members is a two-partV unit comprising L the inner section I5 and an outer section I9.'V The',

inner section I6 extends through an opening formedl in. theend memberand isV provided Ywith a head IIfengagin-g. the inner face of the end` member rand' is' also provided with aninternally screwthreaded axial` recess4 I-8-. v

The outer member I9 is provided with a screw threadedstem-*Zvadaptedto screw into therecess ISgand vis alsoprovided witha head 2l Vwhich is formedwithg a screw driver slot Y2`2'. When Vthe outer section I9 is screwed firmly intoL the inner section i6, the leg I 3 of the handlewill-beclamped rmly'against the endmember; By loosening the outerrsection, I9 slightly, the handle will be free tohave an up and down movement; onfthe study limited only by the length-off the slot I5,A

When thebottlesgare to YloeV shipped. from the bottler toY theretailer,4 the` carrier will be filled withthe-botdes as shown in Fig. 2 andthe outerv section- I3 lof Yeach studVwill-bebacked ofi slightly so as toal-lowfthe-handle (i to be moved downwardly.` as. fari asA theV slot I5 will permit, such movenentcarryingthe bridge portiorrof` the hanthe carrier as sliewn in dotted lineswFig. 2.

Withthe parts in this position, a second carrier containing;bottles can bestacked` en the iirst carrier, the bottom of the secondcarrier restingv on the top of the-bottlesinthe iirst-named carrier.V In.this.wal y, lseveral filledY carriers can be v Slilfn:loner on the other for shipment tor the retailer.

Whenthefilledfcarriers are to beindividuallyt backto.,the-jbottler,Y the end members 2 and 3 of a plurality of Vcarriers may be stacked one onthe other as shown in Fig. 4, thus makinga compact bundle. Similarly,Y the bottom membersY I `4o die telcel tne'i'op 'orme bottles @Qn-tained within p ofY aplurality of. carriersY can be stacked one on the. other as shown in. Fig. 5 thereby makingY another compact. bundle.` In the same Way, the.`

can be stacked together, and the handles Ii of a plurality of carriers can be similarly stacked. In this way, the parts of a considerable number of carriers can be made up into separate bundlesV for shipment from the manufacturer to the bottler or for shipment from the retailer back to the bottler.

If the bottler receives a shipment of aconsiderable number' of carriers from Ythe manufacturer in the knocked-down condition above described, said bottler can readily store the bundles containing the different parts of the carrier in arelatively small storage space, and as he needs 'the carriers for use, he can quickly and easily 'erect-any carrier by simply assembling the bot- ..tom. member, the end wall members, and the side members', and'. inserting the connecting pins 9 `andf'|v2',1 after which the handle can be readily secured to the body of the carrier.

Y A. rbottle carrier -havingf this cor-istrul-:tiorr` vis a sturdy construction which is conducive to long life;

`A bottle carrier comprising. a bottom member of sheetmaterial having,V at` each end edge only a, pluralityrof' cylindrical ears,-each ear havingA an axial. opening, the sideedges of the bottom-r member beingsmooth andV iree from similar ears', an endmember ateachend of the bottom. member; each endmember havingon .its bottom edge a. yplurality'fof cylindrical ears adapted to register with the earsonthe'bottom member, each end. member also having at the .upper portion only of each vertical edge a cylindrical ear, a relatively narrow side member at' each sideof,

theY carrier extendingfrom` one end memberto the other and provided at each end with a cylin-V drical ear whicl'lregist'ers Witha. similarv ear on the Vendmember, each side member having: a vertical,dimensionfless` than that of the Vend' members andthe bottomV edge of each side' merriber being spaced from the corresponding, side" Yedge of the bottom member,all of thecylindricall tomi; ends; andVlr sides ,sog that similar parts of"u ai plurality of` containers may :beV arranged irrpiles for shipment o rst'orage.` Y, j Y, f JACQBRING.'

RVEFERENQES crrED following-jreferences'areoff record in the',

iileoflthis.patent:NV 'Y i STATES PATENTS? 

